


The Flames' rope

by AshenHawk



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Music, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29595315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshenHawk/pseuds/AshenHawk
Summary: The Eisner twins got their dream job: teaching at the Garreg Mach Academy. Throuh the hardship of love and music, they will learn love and that teaching isn't just lectures, but helping the students growing through life's obstacles
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic/Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Bernadetta von Varley/Hubert von Vestra, Caspar von Bergliez/Petra Macneary, Catherine/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert, Cyril/Lysithea von Ordelia, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Marianne von Edmund, Dorothea Arnault/Sylvain Jose Gautier, Ferdinand von Aegir/Edelgard von Hresvelg, Flayn/Raphael Kirsten, Hapi/Linhardt von Hevring, Hilda Valentine Goneril/Claude von Riegan, Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Dedue Molinaro, Jeritza von Hrym/Constance von Nuvelle, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester/Leonie Pinelli, Manuela Casagranda/Hanneman von Essar, Mercedes von Martritz/Ignatz Victor, My Unit | Byleth/Shamir Nevrand, Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

Byleth could barely contain her own excitement as her eyes scrutinised the paper in her hands. It was nothing less than a letter of acceptance to the Garreg Mach Academy. Since both she and her brother Beleth were children, had always dreamed of becoming teachers in that Academy. Their father could not afford the expensive fee for making them frequent the school as pupils, so they worked hard to get in on their own merits. And look! their dream was already fulfilled. Hesitant, Byleth put the papers on the kitchen table, as is they would fade into thin air and break the enchantment she was living. She took her phone and called her brother, after some rings, his brother picked up the phone.  
“Hi sis” his tone was pretty flat, but it was just the way he spoke.  
“We’re in, Beleth” she made a pause. -We got accepted, both of us-.  
There was silence for half a minute at least and then a crack sound of glass, probably.  
“I’m sorry sir, I’ll make her another one right now!” Byleth heard her brother shouting from the phone.  
“Did you break something?” she asked, worried.  
“Ah, it’s the fourth time this week and there are three days left to the end of it” Byleth heard a voice through the phone. Beleth worked at a coffee shop, probably the other voice was his co-worker Yuri Leclerc. She had seen him a few times, but only exchanged greetings, to be polite. He had an ephebic beauty that quickly caught her eye because it was quite unusual. While she wandered through her thoughts, her brother eventually got back from the dead.  
“Sorry, we’ll talk when I’m home. Bye”. She replied with a quick greeting and turned off the call.  
Her eyes were fixated on the papers once again, but this time a mixture of excitement and anxiety took over and clouded her mind. The position of teacher, and even more a teacher at the Garreg Mach Academy, was everything but simple and suddenly she didn’t feel adequate for the role. The Garreg Mach Academy was an ancient institute attended by the future musicians of the country that would represent it in competitions all around the world. To attend the Academy, a student had to have perfect grades and a great deal of willpower, weaklings weren’t in their natural habitat at the Garreg Mach Academy. Her students, Byleth thought, would have justly expected to have only the top of the county’s teachers, not some unknown nobody with no experience. Gaining their respect started troubling her thought and only the knockings on the door distracted her. She jumped on her feet, almost surprised. Spacing out was a bad habit of her, and it would take much time to adjust. She got the door and it was her father Jeralt.  
“Hi kid”, Byleth quickly distanced herself to let her father pass.  
“Father”, she said, as Jeralt was taking off his jacket.  
“The Academy accepted us, both me and Beleth”, she said and eagerly waited for her father to say something.  
Jeralt made a worried, almost displeased expression, and may be conscious of that tried to smile for her daughter.  
“That’s…marvellous” and stopped.  
Byleth wasn’t surprised, her father, for some unknown reasons, always tried to dissuade his children from going.  
“Father I know you told us many times that you don’t like the idea that we go to that Academy, but it’s our dream since we were little kids. Please, understand our feelings. We even made it in, not accepting this offer would be foolish”. Byleth said, trying her best to persuade her father.  
Jeralt recognised that a job offer at Garreg Mach would have pathed the career of the twins, even so, he couldn’t forget what it was like when he worked there as well, something that never told his kids.  
“We’ll talk when your brother comes home”, Jeralt tried to cut off. “For now, let’s make dinner, shall we?”  
Byleth was left unsatisfied with her father delay but nodded and put on an apron.  
Almost an hour later, Beleth came home and was welcomed by the scent of meat stew and two smiling faces.  
“Welcome home Beleth”, his sister said while already pouring his portions on a plate.  
“What did I do to get stew?”, it was his favourite dish.  
“We have to discuss something, and discussions are better when with a full stomach”, Byleth replied.  
Beleth took a seat and gladly begun to eat. His father was silently pondering his words and in the kitchen, there was a deep silence, only interrupted by their cutlery against the plates. Byleth’s anxiety was growing with each passing minute when her father eventually decided to break the silence.  
“I know what I said about you two going to the Garreg Mach Academy, but since you got accepted it would be a waste for you not going”. The twins’ eyes and mouths were wide open for the shock, Byleth was the first to composure herself and speaking.  
“Are you sure father?”. Jeralt nodded and in the same instant the phone began to ring and  
Beleth got it.  
“It’s for you father, it’s…the Academy”.  
To the twins’ surprise, Jeralt was awfully calm to it, like he was expecting no less.  
“Yes”, Jeralt said to the phone. “I understand. We’ll be on our way the day after tomorrow”.  
After some seconds Jeralt turned off.  
“It seems I’ll work at the Garreg Mach too”.  
“I don’t understand father, what’s the meaning of this? It’s like you were expecting this call”, pointed Beleth.  
“Kind of, you see, I’ve worked at the Garreg Mach when I was younger”.  
It seemed that that day there was no cease to surprises for the Eisner twins.  
“One day I’ll tell you about this, but now we have to prepare for our departure. The Academy demanded that we go living there, in their dorms”, Jeralt said and took his seat.  
The rest of the evening the Eisner family members were quieter, if possible, than usual, all immersed in deep thought. Byleth was suspicious of her father’s secretiveness about his past and couldn’t wait to find more in the, she hoped, near future.  
That night was restless for the twins and the morning they could barely stand on their feet.  
“I couldn’t sleep at all last night”, Beleth said to her sister while brushing her teeth.  
“Me neither. Why did the Academy ask for our father? And why did he keep a secret that he worked there? Byleth asked while combing her hair.  
“Maybe he just thought that it wasn’t important. You know our father isn’t much for talking”.  
Byleth frowned, still unconvinced.  
“I’m going to the coffee shop to make my resignation. Care to join? We could grab a coffee and have a nice chat, like when we were little kids”, Beleth suggested. Byleth nodded and took a hairpiece.  
At the coffee shop, it was Beleth ex-co-worker, Yuri, to take their orders.  
“So, you’re going to a famous Academy and I’m here, taking your orders. Life’s unfair to some”, Yuri joked.  
“It’s not that big deal”, Beleth smiled shily.  
“I am glad for you my friend, and Byleth, it’s some time we don’t see each other. It seems you’re doing well”. Byleth nodded, subtly smiling.  
“Stoic as ever, eh? Not even my charm can win her over”, Yuri thought.  
The twins ordered the same coffee and Yuri left.  
“Are you just shy or you don’t like him?”, Beleth asked and Byleth figured he was talking about Yuri.  
“It’s not that I don’t like him. I am just like this, and he kind of makes me feel uncomfortable, not in a bad way but still”. She stopped when she saw Yuri elegantly walking towards them.  
Some girls from a table called out for him, and he quickly reached for them.  
Since the owner hired Yuri, the clients doubled up, perhaps even more. He had his charm to him that made everyone interested in him. It wasn’t just for his beauty he was just so secretive that some people said that even his name was false.  
Byleth slowly drank the coffee while watching Yuri talking to the girls until Beleth voice distracted her.  
“How do you feel about going to the Academy? I’m quite anxious, to be honest”  
Byleth put the cup on the table and watched the vortex created by her breath on the coffee’s surface.  
“I am anxious too yes, but I am eager to see what I am capable of”.  
While continuing her chat, a speaker from the tv in the coffee shop got their attention.  
“The Garreg Mach Academy”, he said, “this year has chosen four of the most excellent music students in the country and has given them the scholarship to attend the courses. The four students are Constance von Nuvelle, Balthus von Adalbrecht, Hapi Timotheos and Yuri Leclerc. We give these young talents all our support and congratulations”.  
Instinctively, Byleth turned her head to Yuri in shock, and when he saw him grinning, she knew she had no reason to ask further.  
Yuri Leclerc was going to attend the Academy, just when she was going to be a teacher.


	2. Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Eisner family arrives at the Garreg Mach Academy, but who is the woman that called Jeralt and why the relationship between them seems so tense?

Chapter 2 Departure

Byleth could not believe what she heard, perhaps because deep down she feared not seeing, even if briefly, Yuri anymore and suddenly this anxiety just vanished. At that time, however, she did not know about these feelings, so she addressed her happiness to the stupor of the news. Yuri looked around in search of the twins and met her eyes and boastfully approached them.  
“Yuri, why didn’t you tell me you joined the competition of the Garreg Mach?” asked Beleth, slightly disappointed.  
“I wasn’t sure of the victory. Not due to any lacking qualities on my part, mind you, but because Garreg Mach has some restriction on who to accept. However, you must admit that this way has been more spectacular”, he concluded winking.  
The twins knew about the calculating and unpredictable nature of their friend, so they did not investigate further.  
“Now, we’ll cause the owner some problems if we resign together”, Beleth stated.  
“You worry about others too much. The owner has already some guys ready to cover up for us!”, said Yuri sighting and sit at the table with them.  
“You’re awfully silent Byleth. Are you unhappy with me going to the Academy?”  
Byleth opened her eyes shocked by his insinuating question.  
“Well”, she started, “you’re my brother’s friend”.  
Yuri made a disappointed face and said: “That doesn’t really answer the question, but never mind”.  
While still chatting, many girls passed near their table to congratulate Yuri, who responded with cold gentleness.  
This two-faced attitude of him always put Byleth on guard, but she could surely assess that the same could be said for Yuri. He didn’t trust her and the only reason he didn’t state it loudly was that she was always in the company of Beleth when had the chance of meeting him.  
“It has been fun, friend, but now I have to go. I still got this day of work to finish”, Yuri said and stood up.  
“Of course, we’re going home too. We will meet at the Academy”, said Beleth and greeted his friend. Byleth just inclined the head and quickly followed behind her brother.  
At home, the twins began to make preparations for the long journey they had ahead.  
Jeralt had already put some bags in the car.  
“How did your boss take your resignation dad?”, Byleth asked Jeralt while packing her things.  
“I didn’t need to resign, the Academy already did for me”, Jeralt plainly said.  
Byleth stopped packing to look at her father. He had a serious expression on his face. An Academy that makes resignation in the place of his new employee sounded, to put it lightly, controlling and an unsettling feeling began to grow in her heart. She decided to ignore it for the time being, until her father approached her.  
“Please be on guard when we go there. I can’t go full into details, but the Academy is a far more dangerous place than you think”. Byleth nodded, although she did not quite understand how the most prestigious Academy in all of Fodlan could be shady, or maybe this aura of sanctity was the most suspicious thing about it. However, it was she trusted her father enough, and the action of the Academy with her father’s job place spoke for itself.  
Beleth came in with several packs that miraculously managed to hold. Byleth helped him and together went down the stairs of their apartment.  
After some time Jeralt followed his kids and put the packages in the car. When everyone was ready for the departure, Beleth checked that they did not forget anything.  
“Byleth have you brought your euphonium?”  
“Of course”, said Byleth with a pout, “I may be a little lightheaded but not the point of forge-“  
“Why did you stop?”  
“My panties! I haven’t brought any of them!”  
“Don’t worry”, Beleth sighted, “I put them in your packages”  
Byleth blushed a little and reclined her head.  
Jeralt was almost laughing but he considered not embarrassing Byleth further.  
From the checking, it seemed Beleth took care of everything, so they set off full of expectation.  
Byleth’s anxieties were substituted from curiosity and excitement.  
During the travel, the twins had a snooze and Jeralt had the opportunity to think about his return to the Academy. He received a call that woke Beleth up.  
Jeralt answered from his Bluetooth headphones.  
“Jeralt here”. Beleth heard an unmistakable womanly voice.  
“It has been ages Jeralt”  
Jeralt went mute for some time.  
“Lady Rhea, I did not expect you to directly call me”  
“I was eager to hear from you Jeralt. I did not think you would accept to return. You left so suddenly…”. The woman made a long pause.  
“Was it because…?” she began but was interrupted.  
“It’s in the past, now I’m coming back, am I not?”  
Jeralt voice turned out sweeter than usual and Beleth wondered the meaning of it.  
“I understand. Be safe on your way. I’ll be waiting for you”, said the woman turned off the call.  
Jeralt sighted as he was in deep thoughts and Beleth wisely decided to keep pretending of sleeping.  
It took almost eight hours, but around nine pm the Eisner family arrived at the gates of the Academy.  
Byleth stretched and exited the car.  
“You’re like a bear”, Beleth said jokingly.  
“I truly am and I hope the dinner will suit my bearly stomach”.  
Beleth smiled and helped her sister taking out her euphonium.  
“Jeralt, you’re here! My old friend!”.  
Jeralt sighted, he knew that voice far too well.  
“Alois, it’s you”  
“Flesh and bone, but my god Jeralt you seem to not have aged at all in this time. And who are those kids?”  
“Hello, I am Beleth and that’s my sister Byleth. We are Jeralt’s son and daughter. It’s our pleasure to meet you”  
“Wow! You don’t look- well, the pleasure’s mine. I am Alois Rangeld. I teach traditional music”, he said and slightly bowed.  
Alois insisted on carrying some packages himself. While walking through the gates, Byleth had the sensation of a pair of eyes on her. She looked up and saw a tall, slender figure that was looking at them from a balcony. Byleth could not distinguish the feature of the face but she was sure it was a woman, and she was looking at them.  
The Academy covered a large field. The exterior walls were covered by a shining white plaster and the windows were coloured in blue, red, green and yellow with the decoration of what looked like a lotus. More than an Academy, it looked like a Church.  
“Your rooms are in the professors’ dormitory. They’re really beautiful and comfortable, I’m sure you’ll find yourself at ease”, said Alois while guiding them through the door.  
“Greetings, Professor! Nothing to report”, Byleth heard a man declaring. She turned her head in direction of the sound and saw a man standing up with a military salute.  
“Uhm…Hi”, said Byleth unsure.  
“You must be the new professor. I am the guard of the gates, no one pass unsafe through this door”, he said proudly. Byleth smiled and hurried behind the others that were more ahead.  
While Alois chatted with the poor Jeralt that was quite overwhelmed, Byleth had the opportunity to appreciate the vintage design of the interior. On the floor, a red carpet with a gold rope was spread across. On the ceiling, there were vaults, from which hanged elegant and sophisticated chandeliers. The Academy surely made an impact on those who entered, like walking on sacred soil.  
The group took an elevator with caged windows like they used to do.  
“These are your rooms, eleven, twelve and thirteen”, he said while swapping the keys. “They’re yours now”, and gave the keys to them.  
“If you want to swap rooms among you, you can freely. The dining hour has already passed but exceptionally there’s someone in the kitchen that can cook for you if you want. That’s a map, so you won’t get lost”.  
Jeralt took it, although he remembered the school really well.  
“I wish a good evening and good work here at the Academy. Now I’ll excuse myself to let you rest”, he bowed again and left.  
“Byleth, I’ll let you choose what room you want,” Jeralt said.  
“Don’t worry father, I have the key eleven, I’m ok with whatever it is”  
“Ok, but if you want to swap, say the word. Now let us take a bath and go to eat”, said Beleth.  
Byleth nodded happily and at full speed entered her room.  
She did her best to bath quickly, but the tiredness of the travel made her forget even about dinner, so she messaged her brother that she would go to immediately sleep after.  
The water sweetly caressed her head, to the point she was getting asleep. With and immense willpower, she exited the basin, dried herself and her hair and put on a nightgown.  
She was expecting to get a peaceful sleep until she saw a lizard on the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. I am trying my best to stick to the original material and make connections with a modern world that make sense. Critics or simple advice are appreciated. Would you like longer chapters less often or smaller chapter but more frequent? If you're interested, please take the time to comment. To the next chapter


	3. Welcome, Teach!

Byleth wasn’t a cry baby, but she had always hated lizards, snakes and so on, and she was a pretty common phobia. So, when she saw that mini tyrannosaur on the wall, a suppressed scream left her mouth.  
“What’s this sound? No animals here sound like that”, Byleth heard a voice from the other room. For a second thought, it was the lizard, but of course, she put that thought aside. Without getting too closer to the monster, she began the walk toward the living room, from which she heard the voice. While opening, the door stumbled upon something.  
“Ouch!”, she heard and immediately she saw two bunnies falling on the floor from no one knows and running freely across the room. Her mouth hanging open in disbelief. She opened the door a little more and saw a young man in pyjama, holding his head in pain.  
“That hurt you know?”, he said and laid his eyes upon her.  
“But who are you?”  
Byleth couldn’t answer because a bag of seeds fell from the boy’s pockets and was immediately attacked by a storm of colourful birds.  
“Ah please, don’t pluck my eyes out!”, he screamed in fear.  
Byleth gave in and laughed, jiggling until she had to sit down on the floor.  
“Ehm…sorry?”, said the boy, asking for help.  
Byleth freed him from some birds and helped him to get up.  
“Whoa, that was close! I’ve always known to be quite popular among birds, but this? This surprises even me!”, and saying that he concluded with a good laugh.  
“You’re my saviour but even the one who started this mess. What are you doing here and what are you doing in a bathrobe?”  
Upon realizing her state, Byleth felt a sudden embarrassment.   
“I’m Byleth Eisner, the new teacher”  
“Oh, I’ve heard about you! Your father is a legend in this school, that’s why I have great expectations of you!”, he said and winked at her.  
Despite his words, Byleth felt reassured and motivated. This guy had the natural charm of making the air comfortable for people, she thought.  
“I’m sorry for this mess. Here animals are prohibited but a girl in my classroom can’t help but attend to all animals she finds and…well, don’t worry! I’ll find them a more suitable place, Teach!  
Her eyes widened when she heard him.  
“What’s so strange about it? You’re a teacher now, aren’t you?”  
She nodded, smiling.  
“You don’t talk much, do you? I must say I’m quite intrigued by you, who knows who you’ll choose tomorrow”  
“What do you mean who I’ll choose?”, Byleth asked not understanding what that weird boy meant.  
“You’ll find out tomorrow teach. Mysteries are the salt of life”, he winked again.  
“Now, let’s begin taking out the birds first”, he said.  
It took some time, but he brought all the birds in the houses on the trees and freed the various lizards in the garden.  
“In the garden, those animals will surely live better”, said Byleth while bringing the last bird.  
“Were they not hurt, I would not put them in your room”, the boy’s eyes saddened.  
“I wasn’t blaming you, you did all that you could to help them”  
“I know what you mean, I just spaced out. Sorry”, the boy got up, visibly indisposed to continue the discussion.  
The two walked toward the window from which the boy entered. Byleth realized he didn’t know his name.  
“It’s been a while, but you haven’t presented yourself yet”  
“You’re right, I got carried away. My name is Claude von Riegan, heir of house von Riegan! Please just call me Claude”  
“Ok, Claude. Now you should go to bed and be honest I’m really tired too”  
“First order as a teacher, eh?”, he laughed, “see you tomorrow, Teach. I hope we will get to know each other better”.  
That said, he left and faded in the darkness of the garden.  
Byleth head was spinning, partly because she was tired and partly because she lived her first night as a teacher. With these cosy feelings, she went to bed. While trying to fall asleep, she heard her phone ring. Byleth picked the phone and saw a message from her brother.  
“Sleep tight, tomorrow will be a wonderful day”, he wrote and accompanied the text with a green heart.  
Byleth smiled and immediately after putting her phone down, fell into a peaceful sleep.  
The morning Byleth felt refreshed. She quickly took a bath and got ready.  
The Garreg Mach prepared for her a uniform that consisted of a white chemise and a long black gown with high heels boots. She put on a pink barrette and left her room. Outside she met with her brother.  
“Even here, we still prepare in synchrony”, she said.  
“Father to is already on his way”.  
The Eisner twins talked through their way to the dining hall.  
“Yesterday me and father ate in the kitchen, I’m curious to see how the dining hall is”, Beleth said.  
Byleth was answering when two figures standing near the dining hall door caught her attention, Beleth followed her sister’s gaze.  
A tall, young boy, with blonde hair and cerulean eyes, was talking to a girl, with eye-catching white hair and purplish eyes.  
“I don’t remember your hair to have always been of this colour”, they heard the boy say.  
“What do you mean? It has always been like this”, the replied seemingly annoyed.  
“Do you feel that?”, Byleth whispered her brother.  
“Yes, the tension between the two is quite palpable”  
“We have to walk through that door”, Byleth said frustrated.   
“Hey, Teach!”, Claude ran up to them. “Oh, is he your brother?”  
“Yes, Beleth Eisner, nice to meet you.”  
“Claude von Riegan, call me just Claude.”  
“Let’s go eat together, shall we?”, Byleth suggested and the three of them went toward the door.  
The two students from earlier noticed Claude and greeted him-  
“My apology”, the boy said to the twins, “my name is Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd. It’s a pleasure to meet you”  
“Both are the new teachers we heard about”, Claude announced.  
“My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg, heir to house Hresvelg”, the girl presented herself solemnly.  
Byleth thought she was quite intimidating but was also fascinated by her.  
“Beleth Eisner and she is my sister Byleth”  
“Your names are quite similar, teach, I wonder why”, asked Claude out of curiosity.  
“Claude, you should pay more respect for your professors”, Dimitri warned his schoolmate.  
“I’m just interested in knowing more about our new professors”  
“It would be my pleasure too, why don’t we share this meal?”, Edelgard suggested.  
“I can’t believe the austere daughter of house Hresvelg herself would propose to happily share a meal, can’t say I’m not interested”  
Edelgard blushed a little and Byleth hardly held back a laugh.  
Beleth looked at her like he meant “things look promising”.

**Author's Note:**

> i have this ff in mind since i endend three houses and finally here I am, writing of my favourite pairing, with some angst and drama but an happy ending too. I'm open to critics, compliments or simple chatting. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I am writing it.  
> More chapters will follow in the next days.


End file.
